1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for detecting fire and other alarm conditions and transmitting a corresponding emergency signal to a remote central monitoring station. More specifically, the invention relates to such apparatus which includes battery conserving means.
2. Description of Prior Art
Various emergency reporting or alarm systems exist for installation in houses and other buildings, which link up the alarm system to a central monitoring station which in turn, can take steps for notifying the police or the fire department or a medical organization. Known such systems are quite costly and they often require a special dedicated telephone line. They are also very demanding on the batteries powering them in that the systems have to be powered up so that they can detect alarm conditions.
Generally speaking such a known alarm system comprises a central unit and a series of detectors such as infra-red sensors which mainly serve to detect a non-desired presence. These known systems must be armed when the house occupant leaves the premises and must be disarmed when the occupant comes back to the house. This requirement is constraining with the result that the occupant often abandons or forgets the arming and disarming procedure.
Also the house occupant, in an emergency and therefore stressful situation, must use a conventional telephone apparatus to communicate with the attendant at the central monitoring station. Both the attendant and the occupant may dial at the same time and the communication becomes impossible. Frequently, the attendant, in an intrusion situation, is under directives not to call the occupant. In such a situation, the occupant must call the attendant and frequently he does not have the required central telephone number at hand, so much so that the is in a stressful situation. Delays therefore occur which are highly harmful in an emergency situation.